Welcome Home
by calin-durus
Summary: After the attacks on 9-11, Emmett left everything he knew to protect the one he loves, even at the risk of losing her. What happens when he returns home nine years later? Who will be there to welcome him home? AH/AU M rating for Languge


**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or it's Characters. Just the plot :)**

**A/N: So here's my entry for the 30 days of Emmett project (you can see this and more at **http:/ / www. fanfiction. net/s /6476118/ 1/ 30_days_of_Emmett**). This plot came to me while hearing a friend of mine talk about her experience welcoming our soldiers home. I don't know about you, but the image of Emmett in Army Fatigues… Gosh, I love a man in uniform. Thank you to Kirmit (ROBS!) for providing the Rose to my Emmett (which is bizzare for us just saying!) and Knittingfncy for her red pen services. Enjoy!

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**Welcome Home**

I glanced around the plane. The sea of somber, tired, and anxious men and women in uniform stared blankly at the movie the commercial airline provided for us. The long trip seemed longer than it should have as one of the few men of my battalion prattled on nervously about seeing his wife again. I smiled at him as he debated whether she would get dressed up for his return home or not.

"Truth be told, Sir, I'm torn," he said.

I couldn't help but laugh. "First, it's Emmett now. Once we bored the plane, Whitlock, I was no longer Sergeant McCarty. Second, why are you so nervous? It's not like you didn't talk to her two weeks ago? She's the same little beauty ain't she?"

Whitlock smirked and nodded. "Yeah she is. God I missed her." He breathed.

"Then relax and think about how you're gonna greet her. Odds are she's scared shitless that you're in the pines." I could see the look of guilt flash through his eyes. We both felt guilty. Neither one of us liked the idea that we were bringing home six of our brothers and sister home in pine boxes.

I carried more guilt than Whitlock though. I should have been on that convoy with them. I was their leader and I let them die.

"Don't," Whitlock said softly as I felt his hand squeeze my shoulder.

"The burden of being the big dog," I said with a sad smile. He responded with an understanding nod, his blue eyes so much like my Rosie's.

_Rosie... _Jesus, it hurt to think of her after all this time. Nine years had been far too long and that crap about time healing all wounds was absolute horse shit. If anything, the time made it worse. Her name and memory was like a wound that refused to heal, constantly being irritated by the pouring of salt into it.

I constantly wondered how she was. Did she find that man she thought I could be? The one that would move the heaven and stars just to see her smile? The man that would worship her as if she was Aphrodite herself? Did she get back with that dickhead Royce? Get married and have babies?

Or did the Rosalie Hale I know die the same day I did? Were the words that passed through her lips as we stood in the middle of the kitchen in our little studio apartment, so cold and careless, the truth of how she felt about us?

I sighed and scrubbed my face. It's crazy how even now I could still hear her voice as she told me that from that moment on, I was dead to her. I remembered it so clearly, it was like she was behind me right now saying it again.

I didn't blame her for her words. I knew that she would be pissed when I told my commanding officer I wanted to fight. She hated everything the Bush administration stood for, often comparing it to that of Nixon's. God, I loved that about her, the way she was never afraid to say what she was thinking, or who it would piss off; she had independent nature and wasn't afraid to show it.

She was the modern man's Marilyn Monroe, a curvy blonde bombshell that knew how to wiggle her hips and bat her baby-blue eyes in a way that you could never deny her. She preferred three inch heels to sneakers, and getting dirty under the hood of a car than watching soaps. She was perfection.

Don't think that because she was graced with beauty, that she didn't have brains to support herself. She sure as hell did. She wasn't just street smart, but book smart too. I'd joke and tell her to dumb it down for the jock. She'd scold me for thinking that way about myself.

A part of me had hoped that when we landed in D.C. she would be there. What I wouldn't give to see her smile as our eyes met. To see her standing there with the families, all anxiously awaiting our arrival. Whitlock was worried if his wife was gonna wear a dress or jeans. I knew what Rosie would wear if she was there when I got off the plane. And I knew just how I would greet her.

The announcement from the captain of the plane brought me out of my thoughts. Men and women around me clapped and whistled, all appreciative of the safe flight home, of the thanks he gave us for doing our jobs.

I glanced over at the tall, blond man sitting beside me as his leg bounced in anticipation, his hands idly rolling the platinum band on his left hand. He was so nervous to put the ring back on; years of wearing it around his neck had seemed so normal. Then again, everything we knew about home seemed odd compared to what we knew in Iraq.

I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the back of my seat. The words of thanks that I was going to give to several families floating through my head. I was told to refer to each member as Private First Class [insert surname here], but it didn't feel right. These kids - yes kids - put themselves on the line every day to help bring peace to a country that didn't want us there. They deserved to be honored, not to be another nameless soldier.

After the jerking of the plane subsided, signaling our touch down on the tarmac, I opened my eyes. Michael Newton, the other member of my squad, stood up and gave me a respectful nod.

"Tell Jess I expect some of those famous Christmas cookies," I joked with him. He nodded more vigorously, his excitement to see his fiancée obvious with his smile.

"You gonna meet my girl, Emmett?" Whitlock asked as he pulled his bag from the overhead.

"Of course I will. I gotta meet the pretty little Alice in person." That earned a grin from him. "And I wanna see you blush when she calls you Jazzy," I teased.

He rolled his eyes. "Hopefully she'll refrain from that." We both looked at each other and laughed. "Yeah, probably not," he said ruefully as he placed my bag in his unoccupied seat.

"Thanks, Jasper. I'll catch up with you after the service," I told him. He nodded then saluted before leaving the aircraft.

"Sergeant McCarty?" A flight attendant asked.

"Ma'am," I nodded.

"The captain is asking that I let all commanding officers know that they will remove the caskets once you've had a chance to speak with their families," she explained with a sad smile.

I searched her uniform and past the cascading brown curls I found her name tag. "Extend my gratitude to him for me, Bella."

She nodded and started to leave. I picked up my bag, intending on exiting, when she stopped suddenly in front of me. "Sir, I just wanted to say thank you."

"No need to thank me," I told her.

She tucked her hair behind her ears and gave another sad smile. "My father was a police officer in a small town. Every day the people would thank him, even for something as silly as bringing a drunken husband home safely from Billy's Bar," she chuckled softly. "He'd always say it was nothing, that he was 'just doing his job.' But it was because of him and his job that the people of Forks went to bed feeling safe. What you and the rest of the men and women on this flight did was more than your job. You made sure the families of foreign people were able to rest their heads, knowing that they were safe from the tyrant they had feared before."

I rubbed the back of my neck to hide the faint blush her words had brought forth. "Thank you, Bella. I appreciate it," I told her honestly.

She smiled wide and nodded. "Not all of us are for the war, but we sure as hell weren't against you guys." And with that she returned to the front of the plane.

I took a steadying breath, preparing myself for what was to come as I descended the stairs. I looked out at the crowd. I could see the sea of soldiers being embraced by their families. The cheers and laughter echoing in my ears as I made my way to the hanger.

This was where they would be lining up the fallen. In neat little rows, the pine boxes would sit peacefully, awaiting the dressing of the flag, before each of the twenty went into a hearse, leading them to their final resting place. This was also were the family of those fallen would be waiting.

When I entered the hanger, I could feel the change in atmosphere without need Jasper's really strange, but oddly accurate ability to feel around him. A part of me wanted to go back outside, where everyone happy and relieved as opposed to the feeling in here. Sorrow and despair, which was the best way I could describe it; a feeling so thick, I felt as if it was choking the very life out of me.

_You can do this, Em..._ I tried my best to give myself a mental pep talk as I headed to the families for my unit. Several of the mothers hugged me as they wept, thanking me for the kind words of the son or daughter. I, in turn, thanked them. If it hadn't been for their family, I wouldn't have gotten the opportunity to meet them.

I tried my best to comfort each family, answering any questions they had, retelling stories that I had heard from their soldier. I took comfort in the smiles and tear-filled laughs. When it was time to talk to Abby's husband, my heart broke as the little girl in his arms looked at me. She looked so much like her mother that I could see why she was all Abby ever talked about. I did all I could, hoping that when she grew up, she would understand that her mom loved her and never forgot about her, no matter how far apart they were.

Once we had a chance to talk to the families, the commanding officers went to the cargo hold of the plane, where we would each walk with the fallen to the hanger. I hadn't expected to see Jasper and Michael standing there when I joined up, but grateful to have their support.

"They became our family ya know?" Jasper said with a small shrug. I nodded.

"Yeah they have," Michael agreed.

Together the three of us walked silently besides the caskets. The families and friends of everyone around us silent as we made our way into the hanger. Neither one of us said a word as slowly we began to place a flag over each box.

One of the girls from the Navy had started singing _Amazing Grace_ as she dressed her own members. I could feel the small smile on my lips as Jasper and Michael joined in. A fitting tribute it you asked me.

Alas, our final duty was done. And instead of a sense of accomplishment, I felt empty. I didn't know what I was going to do now that I was home. The last nine years I had a purpose, a reason for doing things. True, it was for a cause I didn't think we should have stuck our noses in, but regardless, I had a path to take. Before that, my path had been with another person, but that too is gone.

I watched Jasper go to who I could only assume was his girl and smiled when he waved me over. I nodded, letting him know I was coming before actually getting my feet to move. The closer I got to where he was, the more the petite brunette seemed familiar to me. I saw her smile at a woman with her and my heart stopped.

Standing there in jeans, a sweater, and heels, was an angel. _My_ angel. I could hear a gasp and I wanted to look at the source, but I couldn't take my eyes off the blonde in front of me.

"Guys, this is Sergeant McCarty," Jasper said trying to introduce me.

"Rosie..." I breathed, just as her head snapped in my direction.

"Em?" Alice gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. Rosalie's eyes went wide for a moment, then narrowed.

_Holy shit, Jasper's Ali was Rosie's Alice! _My brain screamed at me as I nodded at my long time friend.

"Um..." Alice began, her eyes darting between me and Rosalie. "Emmett, Jazzy, you remember Rose? And her son, Xander?" Alice gestured towards the boy standing next to Rosalie, he had dark curly hair and when he smiled at me and Jasper, the dimples in his cheeks became prominent. His eyes were Rosalie's, but the rest of him was the spitting image of me.

I tried my best to give Alice a jovial smile. "Of course I remember Rose, Ali. You gonna give your old friend a hug?" I asked her.

Alice, ever the same excited little smurf she's always been, nodded excitedly and practically tackled me in a hug. I hugged her tightly, glad to have some sense of familiarity in her laugh and embrace.

"God, I missed you," I told her letting her go. "I can't believe how much you and Rose have changed." This time my eyes locked on to Rose's blue ones.

"Nine years is a long time," Rosalie said in an almost bored tone.

"Yeah, some would say too long..." I looked from her to Xander and back. "You look good, Rosie."

"I know," she said with a small smile. Same ol' Rosie.

"You know what?" Jasper said suddenly picking up Xander and getting everyone's attention.

"What?" Alice asked, sounding relieved.

"I could really go for nachos and a beer," he said with a nod that made Xander scrunch his nose up and shake his head. "What? I'd share the nachos with you," Jasper laughed.

"Beer is gross, Uncle Jazz."

"You should come with us, Em," Alice chirped, ignoring the glare from Rosalie.

"Yeah," Jasper chimed in. "Don't leave me and Xan with the girls... please."

I laughed and shook my head. "I wouldn't want to impose on your homecoming." Not to mention nine years clearly weren't long enough for Rosalie.

"Come on, Em! You don't have anyone to celebrate with and that just ain't right!" Alice urged.

I thought it over before tossing my arm around her shoulder, which she in turn, wrapped an arm around my waist. "I guess I could go... maybe see if I can't tell Jasper a thing or two about his little wife," I teased and Alice scowled up at me.

"Oooh, I think I'm gonna like this!" Jasper said laughing at Alice's obvious disapproval.

"Watch yourself, Whitlock, or me and Xander might actually get a decent night's sleep tonight," Rosalie informed him.

Jasper gaped at her as he set Xander down. "Alice wouldn't..." he started but looked at Alice. "Babe?" He asked in the most pitiful voice I've heard him use in the two years I've known him.

I just laughed and shook my head. "Maybe we should get going before things are said that can't be undone?" _Yep, talking to you, Rose,_ I added silently.

Alice skipped over to her husband and pecked him on the cheek before taking his arm. "Alright... we'll all follow Rosalie?"

Jasper nodded while sharing a look with his wife. I could see the smile on both their faces and bit back a laugh. No wonder she married him; he had the "evil plot" smile, too. "Ya know what, Rose? I think Ali and I can take Xander... give you and Em a chance to catch up?"

Rosalie gave him a tight-lipped smile, but before she could refuse Xander began jumping up and down in front of his mom. "That sounds awesome! Please can I go with Uncle Jazz, mom? Please?" Her face melted and she gave him a nod.

"Where are we going, squirt?" He asked, once the kid had bounced his way to Jasper and Alice. I tried my best not to stare at Rose, but I think I was failing at it. It was hard not to. I thought she was sexy before, but seeing her be a mother to our son... _Fuck me, that's hot_.

"Applebee's!" Xander shouted as he climbed into Alice's Outback.

"Well... looks like it's you and me, Rose," I said once the others where in the car.

"Come on," she said, gesturing for me to follow her as she lead me to the cherry red Jeep she now drove.

"Got rid of the BMW?" I asked.

"It wasn't really good to have with Xander... besides I got a good deal on it. Was able to buy this and pay off some debt," she explained as we climbed in.

"Make sense... So, uh, Xander... he's what? Eight or nine?"

"Eight..." she said calmly buckling herself in.

"Huh... big kid." _What the hell am I even talking about?_

"Like his daddy," she said, giving me a knowing look.

_Well, there something to feed off of_. "Does he know about his dad?" I asked her. Truth be told I was afraid to hear the answer, but I needed to know.

She shook his head. "He's never asked."

"And if he did?" I asked, rubbing my sweaty and nervous hands along thighs.

"I would've told him the truth. His daddy left me for the war."

"I didn't leave you! I told you I was coming back."

She rolled her eyes. "There was no guarantee that you would. Em... I don't want to fight with you right now..."

"I made you a promise, Rose. I've never once broke a promise to you," I countered like a scolded child as I looked out the window. "I don't see why we even gotta fight."

"We don't. We should just eat dinner with our friends..."

I glanced over at her and sighed. "You're right." _Dinner and then I'll be on my way._

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